1In the first year that Darius, the Mede, son of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), became ruler over the Babylonian Empire (the Chaldeans); 2I, Daniel, by reading God‘s word by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-12, where Jeremiah says the land (Israel) will be desolate for 70 years, at the end of which time their captivity will also end), knew (learned) that the desolation of Jerusalem was to last seventy years. 3So I turned to the LORD God, to plead with Him by prayer, fasting, in sackcloth and ashes;

4And I prayed unto the LORD, my God, and confessed, saying, “O LORD, the great and awesome God, Who keeps His covenant of love and mercy to them that love Him, and that keep His commandments; 5We have sinned, and have done wrong, and have behaved wickedly, and rebelled by departing from Your laws and from Your commandments. 6Nor have we listened to Your servants, the prophets, who spoke in Your name to us: to our kings, princes, fathers, and all the people of the land. 7O LORD, You are righteous, but we - the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, throughout all the countries to which You have driven them - are covered with shame this day; because they have trespassed against You. 8O LORD, we - our kings, princes, and our fathers - are covered with shame, because we have sinned against You. 9The LORD, our God, is merciful and forgiving, in spite of our rebelling against Him; 10Nor have we obeyed Your voice, O LORD, our God, to keep and obey Your laws, which You have set before us by Your servants, the prophets. 11Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, by turning away from and disobeying Your voice; therefore, the curse and sworn judgments that are written in the law of Moses, Your servant, have been poured upon us, for sinning against You. 12And You have fulfilled Your words, which You spoke against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us this great disaster; for under the whole heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13As it is written in the law of Moses, all this harm has come upon us; and yet we have not brought our prayer before You, our LORD and God, that we might turn from our sins, and seek Your truth. 14Therefore, as You, O LORD watched and brought this disaster upon us; You were just, for You, O God, are righteous in all that You do; because we disobeyed Your voice.

15“And now, O LORD, our God, Who has brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and has made Yourself a name, that endures to this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16O LORD, according to all Your righteousness, I beg You to turn Your anger and wrath away from Your city, Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, You have made Jerusalem and Your people a reproach to all the nations around us. 17Now, therefore, O our God, hear the prayer and supplications of Your servant, and cause Your face to shine upon Your Temple that is desolate, for the LORD's sake. 18O my God, open Your ear, and hear; and open Your eyes, and behold our desolations, and those of the city which is called by Your name; for we do not make these requests to You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. 19O LORD, hear; and forgive; O LORD, hear and do not delay, for Your Own sake, O my God; for Your city and Your people bear Your holy name.”

20And while I was praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD, my God, for the holy mountain of my God; 21Yes, while I was still in prayer, the man, Gabriel, whom I had previously seen, came in swift flight and touched me, it being about the time of the evening oblation. 22And he talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding. 23At the beginning of your prayers, a command came forth, and I have come to enlighten you; for you are greatly beloved. Listen carefully to these words, so that you understand the meaning of the vision.

24“Seventy weeks are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city, to punish their transgression, and to put an end to sin, to atone for evil, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25Know and understand this: from the time the edict to restore and rebuild Jerusalem is issued, until the Messiah, the Anointed One, comes, shall be seven weeks (7 x 7 = 49 years), and sixty-two weeks (62 x 7 = 434 years, a total of 483 years); with the street and a defensive wall being built again, but these will be times of trouble (opposition to the rebuilding). 26And after the sixty-two weeks shall the Messiah be put to death, but not for Himself; and the people of the ruler that shall arise shall destroy the city and the Temple; and the end of it shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27And he shall confirm a treaty with many for one week (7 years); and in the middle of that week (after 3½ years) he shall put an end to sacrifices and offerings, and at the Temple he shall set up a sacrilegious object, to add to his abominations that shall cause desecration, even until the fate, that is determined for him, shall be poured upon him that caused the desolation.”